Unbeautiful
by bibliophile019
Summary: Amu has never thought of herself as beautiful, in fact, she has a hard time looking at her reflection. After she falls into Narcissa's Lake, she is transformed into a beautiful blond girl. But this gift of beauty isn't all Amu thought it would be when she has to confront the ugliest part of herself, discover true love, and defeat an evil witch trying to take possession of her body.


She was running with tears blurring her vision. She never intended for things to turn out this way. The magic had infiltrated her and was consuming her from the inside. It choked her with every breath she took.

The girl stopped when she came upon the lake. There was nowhere left to run. No one around for miles. She stared down at her reflection barely noticeable from the moonlight. The sapphire blue eyes were her own, but she could feel someone else looking through them with her. They marveled at her long blond hair blowing through the wind. Her appealing young body: thin waist, long legs, wide hips, mature breasts. Even her pale face when flushed red from running and streaked with tears was desirable to this onlooker.

The girl hated her reflection and sloshed the water so that it would vanish from her sight. But it wasn't enough. She could still feel herself being violated from within.

Staring at the water that was beginning to settle back she decided to never again allow another girl to suffer the way she has had, because now she knew there were many before her. This outsider had lived for so long.

With a last breath she jumped into the water.

* * *

**Unbeautiful**

Amu clenched her fists on the bathroom sink taking deep breaths as she squeezed her eyes shut. She had to keep calm. There was nothing to get worked up about. She just needed to block all the pestering doubts out of her mind. Right now, she needed to radiate confidence.

She allowed herself to peek at the bathroom mirror. It took her a moment to will her eyes open, she had long trained them to stay welded shut. Her eyes themselves were always the first to face judgement. Yes, they were still the same mud-ish shade. She played with her dyed pink bangs in an effort to distract from her eyes while conveniently covering the acne that was beginning to form on her forehead.

A step back showed a girl with lanky limbs and no noticeable curves. Her clothes hung to her, almost swallowing her completely. She looked more like a little kid pretending to be a senior in high school that truly being so.

To no fault of the glass. Be it mirrors, clean store windows, quiet water; they all created the same image from her presence. But Amu couldn't help but feel a pang of disappoint every time she looked.

"Oh, well." Amu shrugged as she threw her hair back over her shoulders. "Good enough."

Amu left the bathroom, quick to fall back into the crowd of students leaving for dismissal. She walked against the tide towards her locker, painfully aware of the parting students that were in her way. The eyes didn't bother her at the moment. She had to do this before she lost her nerve. Her determination was all that kept her from turning around and running the other way.

At her locker, as she had expected, Tadase was still packing his backpack with textbooks. Amu let out an uneasy breath before approaching her locker. This was it. This was going to be the moment she would confront her three year crush and let him know her feelings.

"Hey." She greeted Tadase to get his attention.

Tadase looked up from his backpack and smiled at her. "Hello Hinamori-san."

Amu instantly froze with nerves. She had spent all week thinking about how she would handle herself during this encounter, but one look at him made her stomach do somersaults. Amu searched her mind for topics she had planned:

_Have you noticed we've been in the same class since middle school?_

_ We're always seated beside each other because of our last names. _

_ Your smile is breath taking. _

_ No, no. Scratch that! _

_ Looking forward to the class trip? _

"Tadase! We got to hit the bookstore before they sell out!" One of the boys from the senior class shouted at Tadase. "Come on!"

Tadase closed his locker and smiled at Amu. "I'll see you tomorrow on the bus."

Amu watched him walk away, too stunned by her own stupidity to move. When he was out of sight she hit her forehead against her locker, hoping she'd inflict amnesia upon herself.

"Nice job, Amu." Rima told her with her usual sarcastic flare. She stood behind Amu and hit her bag lightly against Amu's back. "I especially loved your opening lie of 'Hey.'"

"It's no good." Amu spoke to the chipped green paint of her locker. She was too ashamed to face the world just yet. "I just turn into an idiot around him."

"No you don't. You just give the impression that a huge stick is shoved up your ass." Rima assured her, delicacy be damned. Amu realized that causing herself amnesia wouldn't have done her any good. Rima was never going to let her live this down anyway.

"Are you two coming?" Nagihiko asked from his locker, leaning against it as he waited patiently for the two girls to finish their dispute. "I'm starving."

Amu pushed herself off her locker and grabbed her bag from the inside. She followed Rima after Nagihiko.

"Why can't you just be causal with Tadase? You've known him since middle school." Rima asked as they were walking down the sidewalk.

"I wouldn't say I really know him." Amu told her, staring down at her shoes. "I've only ever said a few words to him."

"You're just being a wimp. Of course he wouldn't give you the time of day if you don't speak to him." Rima snapped at her, expressing her growing annoyance. She'd had to deal with Amu's crush since the beginning of high school, and while she cheered Amu on, it was impossible to stay enthusiastic when there had yet to be a development in the relationship.

Amu knew Rima had a point, but she couldn't help feeling a bit of resentment. The first time Amu had encounter Rima was when Rima was escaping a particularly persistent boy by locking herself in the girl's bathroom. Amu just happened to be in there before the ordeal began. It was easy for Rima; a myriad of boys gave her attention and many would approach her with confessions. And it wasn't a question as to why.

Rima was a delicate beauty. Small and fair, with blond hair that shone in the sunlight as it cascaded down her back. Her lips were full and always a light shade of pink that complemented her pale complexion. Even her eyes, that were close to the same shade as Amu's shone with a stronger radiance and, coupled with long eyelashes, made her look like a doll.

"I'm dealing with unrequited love here. A little compassion would be nice." Amu wanted Rima to understand, but how could she possibly when she had never experienced such difficulty in love.

"Compassion isn't really my strong suit." Rima commented, ignoring Amu's plea and innuendo about herself. "How about a kick in the shins to get you motivated?"

Amu turned to Nagihiko. "You're a guy. What do you think I should do?"

"Like I've been saying for the past two years," Nagihiko commented, started to understand Rima's impatience with Amu. "Tell him you like him, and the rest is what it is."

"Nagihiko, please." Rima grabbed Amu by the arm. "This is a girl matter. Don't butt in."

"And what exactly do you propose she do?"

"Well, she's already tried confessing. Numerous times, with no success." Rima pointed out while pulling Amu into the family restaurant they usual stopped at. "What she needs to do is reel him in with her womanly wiles."

Amu stared at Rima dumbly. "I don't know what you mean."

Rima took a seat at the counter and pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and began searching through her contact list. "I know about six guys that are good friends with Tadase, I'm sure they know a few of his quirks and fetishes that we can use to our advantage. Of course, we first need to cover the basics. We'll need some perfume to his liking, some lip gloss powered by a pouty expression, and, my personal favorite, the long batting eyelashes to make it seem like your interested in every word he says."

Nagihiko and Amu stared at her from their seats, conveniently on both sides of her.

"So shameless flirting is better than an honest confession?" Nagihiko took her phone away so he could have her full attention.

"And there's no way I could do any of that." Amu added to destroy any other ploys Rima had thought of for her.

"Every girl can." Rima assured her, turning her back to Nagihiko. "Otherwise, the human race would have gone extinct a long time ago."

"Increased practice probably also led to the growing divorce rate." Nagihiko threw in.

"We're not quite at the marriage issue, yet." Rima argued back with a cutting edge to her voice. "We're still trying to get them to talk."

"Sounds like the start of a happy marriage to me." The three turned to the front of the counter. The waiter that handled the counter had his pad ready to take an order. "What do you three want?"

"Three waters and free fries." Amu told him with a smile, but he looked unamused. She clapped her hands together over her head. "Please, Ikuto."

"If you guys are going to come here everyday, why not break the norm and actually buy something?"

"You mean like soda and hot fries?" Rima cocked head to the side with her eyelashes moving rapidly.

"None of us can afford such a luxury." Nagihiko added, following Rima's feigned innocence with his own acting skills.

"Come on Ikuto." Amu nudged him over the counter with her elbow. "They're just fries you were going to throw out anyway."

"Fine." Ikuto caved, feeling awkward about the three pairs of eyes on him. "But no water. Just go dehydrated."

"Are you allowed to deny customers water?" Amu inquired crossing her arms over her chest.

"No." Ikuto rested his elbow on the counter and leaned in closer to her. "But mooches also normally get booted out the door."

Amu stared back at him defiantly for a moment before Nagihiko intervened, "Cold fries will be plenty thanks."

Ikuto took his leave back into the kitchen. Rima turned to Amu and hit her against the shoulder.

"What?!" Amu exclaimed from the surprise of Rima's testy violence.

"What part of womanly wiles don't you understand?"

"All of it." Amu answered honestly, without needing a moment of thought. "And I really can't do flirting either."

"Yes you can." Rima felt like pulling her hair out. "You just coeresed free food out of a guy. Girls dream of achieving that level."

Amu didn't see what was so amazing about this feat. "Guy? It's just Ikuto."

"That's what makes it all the more impressive." Rima stared at Amu with a sly smile. "You got a hot guy to give you free food."

"Oh, please." Amu rolled her eyes. "I've known Ikuto since I was in elementary school. You don't think that makes a bit of a difference?"

Rima tapped her finger impatiently against the counter. "Okay. How would you try to get something out of a guy. What feature of yourself would you accentuate?"

"I wouldn't. I'm telling it doesn't work with me." Amu answered staring down at her folded hands. "Boys just don't think I'm pretty."

"I think you're pretty." Nagihiko intervened ready for his usual job to provide a boost of optimism.

"Oh, you don't count." Amu retorted not bothering to be thankful for his attempt to cheer her up.

"Why don't I count?" Nagihiko demanded, mildly offended by being brushed off so easily.

"Nagi, please. This is a girl thing." Rima explained to him, patting his hand gently. "Only real guys can say she's pretty and it actually be taken seriously."

"What am I, then?!" Nagihiko tugged his hand away from Rima. "The gay best friend or something?"

"No, but you're like my brother. Think of it that way." Amu tried to calm him down, but it seemed to produce the opposite affect.

"Somehow I feel as though I should be insulted."

"That's because we put down your already mildly existent manhood." Rima explained to him sweetly. Nagihiko began to develop a twitch in his eye.

Ikuto laid a basket of fries in front of them. "It's a special treat. They've only been out for thirty minutes."

"Thanks." Amu took some fries from the basket, while Rima and Nagihiko were preoccupied with staring challengingly at one another.

"So." Ikuto leaned against the counter. "What are we talking about?"

"Amu's lack of a love life." Rima gladly perked up to explain.

"Ah, an endless topic." Amu shot him a glare.

Rima took a fry with a smirk. "Hey Ikuto. Do you think Amu's pretty?"

Ikuto took a moment to look her over, which pissed Amu off all the more. "Sure. Amu's a cute kid."

"See. The elderly patronize me." Amu commented with a huff.

"I only look like a child molester around you because you look like you're still in elementary school." Ikuto replied, making Amu's face turn a sharp shade of red.

Amu threw a fry at his head. "If you don't want that image, then stop hanging out with kids. It's weird."

Rima enjoyed watching Amu and Ikuto discuss things. They always gave each other a hard time.

"I got to get home." She told no one in particular as she threw one last fry into her mouth. She looked at Nagihiko. "Take me home."

Nagihiko took a few fries in his hand for the walk. "See you tomorrow, bright and early."

"Yeah, looking forward to seeing a big puddle of water." Amu waved as the two exited the building, Rima pulling him by the arm after her.

"What's tomorrow?" Ikuto asked, grabbing a rag to wipe off the counter.

"A school trip. Kind of a way to celebrate the last time the whole class can bond together." Amu explained pulling the basket of fries towards herself. "It's just for the day, but it's better than going to class, I guess."

"Where are you going?"

"Narcissa's Lake in the next town over." Amu smiled when he saw his confused expression. "It's a historical landmark for the town."

"What's historical about a lake?"

"The story is that a village girl saw her beautiful reflection for the first time and jumped in after it. She drowned causing an uproar in the town. But they figured out how to use the lake for irrigation and plentiful crops, so it's actually a happy story."

Ikuto stared at her. "Sounds interesting. Just try not to fall in."

"I can swim, so it's no big deal." Amu assured him. She didn't really need to add the fact that her reflection wasn't worth jumping in after.

"So I'm guessing it didn't go well with Prince Charming." Ikuto noted from her gloomy demeanor.

Amu let her head fall on the counter. "Complete failure. I couldn't even speak."

"Did he decline your invitation to going out for drinks outside the office?" Amu shifted her eyes up at him. He was smiling at her, obviously having too much fun with her distress. Why did all her friends (and Ikuto) love abusing her.

"You're experienced with the whole dating thing, give me some advice." Amu snapped at him.

"I don't really know that much." Ikuto told her cupping his chin in his hand. "Women just seem to flock to me and demand I give them my attention. Then when I did, they got more aggressive with their demands, and that I'll tell you about when you're older."

Amu stared at him before chucking another fry at his head. "Whatever. I'm through with this. I'm just going to tell him tomorrow. I'd rather get rejected than deal with any more of this abuse."

Ikuto took a glass from under the counter and went to the soda fountain as she went off on her tantrum. "Calm down young lady." He pushed the drink down to the counter to reach her.

"This is a real drink." Amu eyed the glass suspiciously.

"Just a little pick me up for your troubles." Ikuto eased her suspicions. "No one else drinks that weird cherry vanilla stuff anyway."

Amu took a sip to satisfy her thirst. "How come I've never seen you with a girl, if you're such a babe magnet?"

"For fear that it would burn your virginal eyes." Ikuto tells her, making her choke on her soda.

"Too much information." Amu sputtered out, trying to get air. "Is this the life of a musician?"

"What can I say? The violin makes girls go crazy." Ikuto winked at her, sharing an inside joke with her in regards to his appeal to women. Amu was sure it had to be his skills with the violin, because his personality was so intolerable.

Amu quickly downed the rest of her drink. "I'll see you tomorrow. I have to go do some prep work." Amu jumped down from her seat and grabbed her backpack from off the ground.

"Amu." Amu threw on her backpack and looked at Ikuto who was musing over her. "You're very pretty, so don't get too discouraged."

Amu felt her face burn at his casual statement. "Shut up!"

"Oh, I got three shades of red." Ikuto pointed with a laugh. "Oh, wait. Four. Having some impure thoughts?"

"You're the one who's perverted!" She shot back at him leaving the restaurant in a huff.


End file.
